Snes to parallel - troubleshooting

[Snestor]

Firstly I must say that I enjoy your homepage a whole lot (especially this part of the forums), I have been lurking around a lot without a username as there is loads of valuable information and inspiration for an amateur like me!
I'm hoping that atleast someone at this forum has made a Snes-Parallel conversion and has some valuable info for me, it seems to be quite popular, but i can't seem to find any information at all on troubleshooting or problems like mine.

I recently made a Snes-Parallel modification off an extension cord for snes controllers.
The following plans were used (pic1), and 1N914 diodes, I measured all of my contacts with a multimeter both before and after the problem occurred.

Pic1:


Now to the problem, I did not get any contact (controller to computer) after using the recommended hardware (PSXpad for Win Xp) so I figured out it must be a hardware problem, so I welded a bridge between pin 18,19 according to another guide i found at (see pic 2)

Pic2:


However I still wont get any contact at all, and I’ve been measuring time after time with my multimeter and can’t find any hardware related problems.

The black ends of the diodes are angled away from the db25 connector and computer, as described.

I install PSXpad as described in the guide at http://cbud.raphnet.net/snes/psxpad/xp/index_en.html
And the only way it differs for me is that the "HID-controller notification" never opens a window like in the picture below (pic3) it only says in the lower right corner (by the clock) that it has been detected and is ready to use.

Pic3:

I have traced my port addresses on both computers I’ve tried this on to “0x378”, so that probably can’t be causing any problems.
How should I continue to get this mod up and running? It would be of great joy to me if you guys could help me with a fast troubleshooting as I am relatively new to hardware configuration/modification.

And i really wanna get this baby working so i can keep the gaming up even when i move across the world to study for a few years.
(Baggage limit set up at 20kgs, and i need to prio clothes and not my console )


Looking forward to awnsers
/Snestor

 

[RedWolf]

Snestor,

Welcome to the forum!  I almost built one of those SNES to Parallel adapters back in the 1990s when I found a description of the project on the early web, or maybe it was making the rounds on BBSes.

These days, I don't need it because I use a SNES to USB "Super SmartJoy" adapter.  Works great.  Super SmartJoys aren't made any more to my knowledge (they were marketed by Lik Sang, now defunct), but Brian Parker of RetroZone sells his own simple SNES to USB adapter.

Only $19 US, and he'll probably ship one to France.  This is your best bet for easy SNES interface with all modern computers.  Requires no drivers in XP

Find it here:
http://www.retrousb.com/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=838e24a67edbb6f0aa8ee47b2dc882d9

That being said, I hate it when people answer my forum questions by doing what I just did -- suggesting that you try another method.   So I'll puzzle over your issue a bit more, but I only have practical and sort of incidental electronics experience, so I can't perfectly troubleshoot what's going on.

The first issue that would keep me from using a SNES to Parallel adapter on a modern Windows XP machine is that parallel ports are essentially obsolete, and driver support for them in XP might not be very good.  I haven't used parallel ports since the Windows 98 days.

Electronically speaking, the best I can say is simple stuff that you've already done: check and double check all your pins for proper continuity with an ohmmeter.  Make sure you have the diodes in the correct places.  Check the diodes to see if they're good.  If all that is fine, then your issue likely lies in your computer's parallel port or the driver you're using.  Try your cable on another computer, or with an older computer running Windows 98 (if you have a driver for it).  Then you'll be able to partially rule out some things.

Let us know if you figure it out.  Good luck, and I hope you can keep visiting the forum, even if I haven't been much help.

Benj

[Snestor]

Hi Redwolf, and thank you for your awnser!

I've already been "walking down those alleys" and it seems today i will buy myself a 2x controller - usb adaptor and admit defeat.
I found one at a local chopshop for about 25 $ and it looks like this:

So atleast i can spend part of the 22 hour long flight playing Super Castlevania IV 


However it would be highly satisfactory if i got my own "gadget" working.
I hate leaving stuff undone and even though i have payed about as little as 10 $ for the parts i would feel like a a tool if i couldn't get it to work!

Anyways, hoping for more input!